Patch 2.1.0 introduced a brand new class set for the Crusader, Roland's Legacy. Capitalizing on the of melee strength of Zakarum's finest, this set aims to get you into the thick of battle, fighting your foes face-to-face.

In this week's Play Your Way, Majier#1230 takes full advantage of Roland's Legacy and shares his sweeping approach to demon decimation.

About the Build:

If you haven't had the chance to check out patch 2.1.0 yet, a slew of new items were introduced for both Seasonal and non-Seasonal characters. The Crusader is the most recent addition to the roster of nephalem heroes and was at a slight disadvantage with only one class set. Roland's Legacy was created to help fill the void, with a heavy focus on the Sweep Attack and Shield Bash melee abilities. Majier has chosen to pursue the Sweep Attack route, making the most of this Area of Effect skill.

Sweepin' up the trash. What I did there — do you see it?

This build includes traditional themes, such as making efficient use of Akarat's Champion (Firestarter) for an impressive boost to damage. However, the lack of the Armor of Akkhan set means this popular skill takes a backseat and serves a supplemental purpose. Fire is most certainly not the star here, and while you'll get a sizeable boost from bonus Lightning damage, this build's service to the elements is a secondary means to success rather than its focus.

The Skills:

Presented below is Majier's typical build, though be sure to scroll down for alternative suggestions to match your play style!

Active Skills:

• Punish (Fury)
  • A fast way to quickly build Wrath
  • Angel Hair Braid makes this skill invaluable for survivability and utility
• Sweep Attack (Trip Attack)
  • Your primary damage dealer
  • Offers a handy stun, great in any group or for solo play
• Laws of Valor (Unstoppable Force)
  • Sweep Attack can be very expensive; helps mitigate the high Wrath cost
• Condemn (Vacuum)
  • Positioning is quite important with Sweep Attack
  • As a side effect, offers great auxiliary damage
• Steed Charge (Endurance)
  • For the utility-focused Crusader
  • A great escape
  • Handy when running bounties or catching up in groups
• Akarat's Champion (Fire Starter)
  • Offers superior auxiliary damage
  • Wrath regeneration a welcome addition for sustaining Sweep Attack

Passive Skills:

• Heavenly Strength
  • Your ideal weapon is Golden Flense, so you'll need to use to use this passive to equip it with a shield
  • Two-handed weapons ensure that Sweep Attack deals hearty blows
• Vigilant
  • A strong defensive option, necessary for staying in melee range
• Finery
  • Offers an admirable amount of additional Damage and Toughness
  • A flexible option if your gear doesn’t include a lot of sockets
• Righteousness
  • Sweep Attack is a Wrath-hungry skill and this passive helps mitigate that issue

Alternative Skills:

• Falling Sword (Part the Clouds)
  • Swap out with Steed Charge (Endurance)
  • Offers an additional nuke-on-cooldown button for fighting elites and bosses
• Heaven's Fury (Thou Shalt Not Pass)
  • Swap out with Steed Charge (Endurance)
  • Offers an additional nuke-on-cooldown button for fighting elites and bosses

The Items:

The items offered below are those that served as the inspiration for this build. It's fairly gear dependent, so this is a great option to work towards over time rather than aim for with a freshly-leveled Crusader.

Majier is looking pretty impressive with his Lidless Wall and full Roland's Legacy set.

Recommended Items:

• Roland's Legacy (6-piece bonus)
  • The inspiration for this build
  • Focus on Sweep Attack makes these set bonuses highly prized
• Golden Flense
  • Helps circularly fuel constant Sweep Attacks, especially when fighting multiple targets
  • Opens up Laws of Valor to a new rune, as Unstoppable Force becomes a little less necessary
• Angel Hair Braid
  • Boosts the utility of Punish through the roof

Complementary Items:

• Bastions of Will (2-piece bonus)
  • Synergizes with Golden Flense, offering a nearly permanent source of increased damage
• Reaper’s Wraps
  • If you find yourself running low on Wrath, these craftable bracers can fill in the gap

Recommended Legendary Gems:

Bane of the Trapped is the clear choice here, given that you're using a stun-inducing Sweep Attack for your primary source of damage. With consistent resource spending, Taeguk is also a strong option for a quickly-stacking source of increased damage. Mirinae, Teardrop of the Starweaver is always a solid choice for Crusaders, offering a consistent source of single-target damage, though Gogok of Swiftness and Simplicity's Strength both have their merits based on your personal preference and if you're lacking some of the gear to keep consistent stacks from Taeguk.

Recommended Stats:

Attack Speed helps this build immensely, as you'll want to be toting a two-handed weapon even if a Golden Flense hasn't come your way just yet. Your Sweep Attack will hit like a truck, clearing lesser minions effortlessly, so the more quickly you can build up Wrath with Punish, the more you can be spamming that spender!

Cooldown Reduction is also extremely helpful, as you won't be able to capitalize on the Armor of Akkhan set while using Roland's Legacy. Lightning damage is a great way to round out this build’s damage capabilities along with your Critical Hit Chance and Critical Hit Damage. Don't forget a hefty amount of All Resistance and Vitality, so you can stand strong in the thick of battle!

Recommended Difficulty and Game Mode:

Majier is currently rocking Torment VI difficulty in Normal game mode with this build, both solo and in group play set ups. The high frequency of stuns reduces some of the danger of being in melee, and it's quite possible you could make this work well in Hardcore with the appropriate level of Toughness.

While it's always risky to be in the thick of battle, your fast attacks and constant crowd control capabilities are an asset no matter what you find yourself pursuing in Sanctuary, whether it’s jumping from Rift to Rift or plowing through Bounties!

Why We Like This Build:

Melee can be a pretty risky style of gameplay. Quick reflexes are a must as there's less time to react to those big, dangerous attacks. However, jumping in the action is a little less scary if you have more control over the battlefield, and this particular build accomplishes just that.

Sidling up to a stunned Mallet Lord is just a little less scary than to a mobile one.

Because the Roland's Legacy set is so new, folks are still experimenting with it and trying new things. As experimentation and exploration are some of the major goals of Play Your Way, it was only natural to highlight Majier's efforts. We're looking forward to seeing what other people are doing with this set, too!

Tell Us What You Think!

Have you gotten your hands on the Roland's Legacy set? Are you focusing on Shield Bash or Sweep? Which do you prefer? Let us know in the comments and, if you have a build you want to submit, don't forget to use our new webform to send it in!

Next week we're opening our minds to the wonders of the Arcane and returning to the Wizard before we move on to the voting phase. Until then, nephalem—may all your loot be Legendary!